Flu facts: Top 5 things you need to know about the flu shot this year

(BPT) – You hear about it on the news. You see the signs in the pharmacy windows. Even your friends and co-workers are talking about it. The flu shot is a highly discussed topic, and for good reason!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on average, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population – or up to 64.6 million people – gets the flu, and tens of thousands of people are hospitalized every year because of it. Further, the flu can strike anyone, and adults aged 18-64 years old are the most likely to get ill, accounting for 60 percent of flu-related hospitalizations. This number goes up in certain areas, and some states – such as Texas, Florida and California – tend to be hit harder by the flu than others.

‘Flu-related illnesses are already trending twice as high in 2017 as they were in 2016, and we are seeing an uptick in flu-related visits across the country,’ said Dr. Jason Tibbels, MD, board-certified family physician and director for quality programs at Teladoc, the largest and most trusted telehealth provider in the world. ‘This year, officials want at least 70 percent of Americans to get a flu shot; however, fewer than 50 percent were vaccinated against the flu last season.’

How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from the annual flu outbreak? The first step is to understand the benefits and any potential risks of flu vaccination and then – if it’s right for you – go get the flu shot.

It’s also important to understand that while the vaccine is the best defense in protecting against flu, there’s still a chance that with it, you could get sick. If you do start to experience symptoms, telehealth is an on-demand, anytime, anywhere resource. This means you can access hassle-free medical care from your home during the middle of the night, from your college dorm room, while at the airport for an early morning business trip, and anywhere else you have access to a phone, a mobile app or the web. A telemedicine doctor can assess your symptoms before they worsen. Visit Teladoc.com/flu to learn more about the telehealth benefits that may be available to you to access care when and where you need it.

We asked Teladoc’s Dr. Tibbels why the flu shot is so important this year. Here are his top reasons:

1) It keeps you out of the emergency room. The flu shot reduces the risk of hospitalization due to flu by approximately 50 to 60 percent.

2) It reduces sick days. Missed time at work due to flu-related illnesses causes an additional $ 16.3 billion in lost earnings annually.

3) It promotes overall health. The flu vaccine is a helpful tool for people with chronic health conditions. Flu vaccination is associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease, and is also proven to have reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease. Further, vaccination helps protect women during and after pregnancy, reducing the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection by about 50 percent. And getting vaccinated also protects the baby several months after birth.

4) If you do get sick, it may decrease the severity. The flu vaccination does not guarantee protection against the virus; people who get the shot are still at risk of getting sick. However, if you do get sick, the flu vaccination can make your illness milder. If you start to experience symptoms – whether or not you’ve had the flu vaccine – it’s important to see a doctor. Many people have 24-hour access to board-certified and licensed physicians seven days a week via telemedicine from home, work or on the road through a phone or tablet, making it easier than ever to get a diagnosis and start treatment.

5) It helps stop flu from spreading. Did you know that the flu virus can be spread to people within three feet of a sick patient when that patient coughs, sneezes or talks? Getting vaccinated doesn’t just help protect you from the flu; the flu shot is the responsible choice for protecting those around you. Vaccination is especially important for protecting more vulnerable populations, such as babies and young children, the elderly, and people with certain chronic health conditions, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

‘When it comes to the flu, it’s not wise to take a wait-and-see approach,’ said Dr. Tibbels. ‘Talk to a doctor! We’re available all day, every day, all through flu season and beyond.’

To learn more about Teladoc and the level of flu risk where you live, visit Teladoc.com/flu.

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How is it that we have named a season after the fact that our immune systems get overwhelmed during a time of seasonal changes? It’s not right.

You’d think by now we would be aware enough about “cold and flu season” to start acting well in advance to stay on our game — our health game, that is.

Vaccines have somehow become the prevention method of choice. It seems easier to get a shot than to take the necessary steps to work towards truly preventing getting sick by supporting our natural defences. Year after year, there are studies that demonstrate the lack of efficacy of the flu shot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can range widely from season to season. The vaccine’s effectiveness also can vary depending on who is being vaccinated. At least two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community. During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it’s possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed.

In the last few years alone, studies have shown that the flu vaccine had no impact on healthcare workers (working with people 60+ years of age). The question really is, how often do the dudes in lab coats make the match between strain of the flu and the vaccine? That is a bit of a political question and I was unable to find the answer.

Whether you get the vaccine or not is your choice, but real prevention will always be your best defence. Today on Meghan TV, our functional medicine specialist Josh Gitalis shares his top 5 Flu Fighting Remedies.

Join the conversation: http://wp.me/p3ciwI-7LJ

Top 5 Flu Fighting Remedies | Meghan TV